Sullivan’s Island Fire Chief Anthony Stith is asking residents to withhold judgment on his department’s response to a February house fire until an independent review is complete, pushing back against anonymous allegations that have unsettled the island community.
“I understand why residents want answers — you deserve facts, context and honesty,” Stith told Town Council at its April meeting. “What has been circulated in anonymous emails is not a full or fair account of the first response at 1620 Middle St.”
An anonymous blogger writing under the pen name “William Legrand” has published a series of posts titled “Sullivans Exposed,” alleging failures in the Sullivan’s Island Fire Department’s (SIFD) response to a structural fire at 1620 Middle St. on the morning of Feb. 7. The posts have prompted concern among residents, leading Town Council to commission an independent third-party review of SIFD policies and procedures.
The allegations
Legrand alleges that when SIFD arrived at the scene, firefighters were unable to get water pumping from their truck. According to Legrand, the Mount Pleasant Fire Department arrived eight minutes later to find the Sullivan’s Island truck still malfunctioning, at which point Mount Pleasant assumed “first-due engine responsibilities” and began fighting the fire. Legrand cited Mount Pleasant Fire Incident Report 26-0011809 as the source for these claims.
Chief Stith disputes that account, saying any delay in water pumping lasted no more than 30 seconds.
Resident Angie Polk, who said she watched the fire from across the street, supported the blogger’s version of events. “Something did malfunction that morning,” she said. “I watched it live — the hose was lying limp in the grass without water coming through it. It wasn’t 30 seconds, it was minutes. I was there that morning, and I know the truth.”
Recruit’s entry into the fire
Legrand also alleged that an SIFD recruit entered the fire without the required training and certifications. Stith contested that characterization.
“He entered the structure only after the fire was knocked down, alongside my assistant chief, while crews were checking for hot spots and teaching him how to use the thermal imager,” Stith said. “This is why I’m asking the public not to draw final conclusions from a one-sided account before the outside reviews are complete.”
Automatic aid and command
In a later post, Legrand questioned why an Isle of Palms battalion chief commanded the scene for more than two hours rather than SIFD resuming control. “Do Mt. Pleasant and IOP not trust Sullivan’s Island to command the fires when their teams are present?” Legrand wrote.
Longtime island volunteer firefighter Jeff Woodard, who has served for 25 years, defended the practice of automatic aid, a mutual assistance system in which neighboring departments provide support.
“Automatic aid is not a weakness — it is how smaller communities provide professional fire protection,” he said. “In the fire service, trusting a qualified officer already in command is not a weakness. It is standard practice and professional judgment.”
Stith echoed that sentiment. “When a well-trained battalion chief has already established command, good leadership does not require taking that role away. It reflects confidence in our partners and a shared commitment to effective incident management.”
Calls for transparency
Former council member Scott Millimet acknowledged the posts carry weight but expressed skepticism about their anonymous delivery.
“The emails are highly detailed and appear factual,” he wrote in an email to council, also requesting that the town issue a public response. “I request that the town respond so constituents have a balanced picture of the events of Feb. 7. I am not sure of the rationale for putting this information out behind a pen name; doing so seems to suggest political motivations.”
Other members of the public, including Ralph Myers, echoed calls for transparency.
“There are claims of time records that contradict other time records, so the only solution here is to have an independent investigation,” Myers said.
The Island Eye will continue reporting as independent findings become available and FOIA requests are fulfilled.